


A Memory of Music

by I_write_fanfiction_not_tragedies



Category: Doctor Who, The Eagle of the Ninth - Rosemary Sutcliff, The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 05:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12052371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_write_fanfiction_not_tragedies/pseuds/I_write_fanfiction_not_tragedies
Summary: He remembers, long ago, when the Romans came to destroy but were instead destroyed. He remembers his siblings Kar and Ban, and the man with the blue box, and the girl who was with the Romans who knew what would happen.He just can't forget them, even after there is nothing left.





	1. Destroyers of Light

**Author's Note:**

> So the "up next on Doctor Who" thing comes on and I nerd out because HeY I KnOW ThaT IT'S THE eagle of THE NINth the NINTH LEGION HISPANIA THAT WAS A GOOD BOOK  
> And one of the first things Bill says is "I read the book" "Bill I LiVeD HERE WTH" I was just waiting for a reference to it and BOOM there it is first five minutes
> 
> But how cool would it have been if one of the kids was just "yeah my name's Esca"   
> Doctor Who's done it before, they took the Cambridge Latin Text Book characters and put them in a episode

He remembers very little of the Ninth Legion. His father never let him see the battlefield, and his sister would never tell him what happened. 

But he does remember the blue hut, the oddly shaped blue hut that _must_ have belonged to a god, because it moved and made weird noise and when it came everyone spoke the same language and the man from inside made the Romans work with his people. He remembers the girl who came with him, who was on the Romans side, and yet she was so nice. He remembers the way her eyes lit up for a second before showing deep sadness when she asked for his name.  
"Esca."  
"It's just a coincidence, right Doctor? It's just fiction."  
But the man called the Doctor didn't answer. He just smiled and shook his head. He vaguely remembers the other man, but only that he was on their side, not the Romans'. He was funny.

He remembers when Kar and Ban told him to stay behind, it was too dangerous. His parents weren't there. He wasn't sure where they were. He remembers waiting for days until Ban came back and told him the Ninth Legion was dead. Kar went with them. The man called the Doctor tried to stop them, but in the end, it was Kar's decision and no one could stop her. Ban tried to explain it was to stop the Eaters of Light, but Esca didn't listen. The Romans took his sister.

He remembers the music.

 

And the fighting.

His father was angry. The Seal people have the Eagle God of the Romans. He says Kar's sacrifice was for nothing. Ban won't tell him that in the end Kar needed the help of the last of the Ninth. His father said Kar would be forgotten, her sacrifice in vain, but Ban showed Esca the crows, who no longer caw weird sounds like "hello" and "dark tor", but say "Kar". He will never forget Kar.

Years later, they come again. And he remembers. How can he not? He remembers the blood on the floor split from his mother's neck, his father's dagger thrust into his hands by Ban, who knows he won't survive and knows their father won't either. They didn't. He remembers the gleaming swords and the strength it took to fight them until he got knocked out, but not killed. He remembers the pain, the tears, and the shame. The smell of blood and sweat and the cries of the innocent as the Romans come again _and destroy again and there's nothing they can do._ There's no Eater of Light to save them. There's no aid from the North. There's no man in a box, just the memory of the girl who knew how it would end for him. There is only an army with no mercy, and a long journey away from the hills in chains. Just the mournful cry of the crow telling him to remember someone he wants to forget.

He can't hear the music anymore.


	2. Bearer of Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahaha I hate timelines so screw it this may be out of order. I read the book, like, a year ago and can't remember it very well, I just remember it's gayer than the movie (shocking) and Cottia's best pick up line is "can I pet your dog?"

But it isn't the end.

There's not much left, he thinks, as he faces the arena, and the sword is _so close_ to ending it, but there's a man who stands up even when he looks as if he's about to fall and a girl who looks _so much like Kar_ that wouldn't watch but now can't take her eyes off the sand, and it doesn't end. 

He wishes it just would have. He's trapped now. 

"I hate you, and everything you stand for."

But it isn't so bad. It has been worse, so much worse, and this isn't bad. It's not freedom, but it's not exactly slavery. By Roman laws it is, but if that was all it was, he'd have run away long ago. It's honor now, and he can live with that. 

It gets easier when Marcus let's him go on the hunt. Well, philosophically, because in reality, Cub is a nightmare. A cute, fluffy, teething nightmare that isn't house trained. At first, the hunt made him feel worse, because "wow, that was careless, endangering your master's property like like", but Marcus doesn't see it that way and makes it clear. And Esca likes Marcus now.

Camilla makes things hard. She's so angry, all the time, and doesn't think anything through. She's just like Kar. It hurts, at first, it hurts and he doesn't want to remember. But then she's a regular part of Marcus's life and Esca is _jealous_ , which isn't okay because _no, he is still a Roman and your master, he owns you and could use you however he wanted_. She still reminds him of Kar, but the jealousy overrides the memory.

Until one night, after Marcus's wound had been reopened and he couldn't play with Cub and the wolf was bored so Esca took him out. Camilla was sitting on the wall between the villas and looked surprised to see him, but Cub went wild and was barking at her and jumping up to see her and wouldn't stop until she slid down the wall, tearing her thin stola in the process. She doesn't care and just pets Cub. Esca should tell her she shouldn't be here, he should tell her proper Roman girls don't climb walls to pet wolves, but she's here and she's the only thing keeping Cub quiet right now. So they talk. Most just Camilla at first, asking him carefully guarded questions, and him giving carefully guarded answers, but then, she notices the tear in her dress and goes on a rant about how much she hates Romans and being a proper lady and wishes she her mother would just call for her already, and Esca opens up more. He learns she's Iceni, and soon they're speaking in their native tongue and complaining about Romans and how they just expect everyone to follow their precise rules. She asks about his home, and he stops. He wants to tell her, but everything hurts too much. But still, he tells her the story of Kar and the Ninth, of the Doctor and the Blue Box. She gets excited and tells him a legend her people have of the Doctor, and of stories of stories about the Romans and a blue box.  
"But I don't pay attention to those. I'm the least likely person to know anything about Roman legend. I'm Cottia, by the way, not Camilla. But don't call me that around my aunt or uncle, they hate it."  
And Esca is now friends with Cottia.

Time passes smoothly. Cub is grown, and yet he comes back and stays with Marcus. The same happens for Esca. Marcus frees him. It's all proper, with a sealed scroll that Esca _can't read, Marcus_ , and it's over. He's not a slave any more. But he hasn't been for some time, and Esca tells Marcus. He tells him this isn't about Roman laws and values of ownership, but his honor and, well, _he likes him_. He's shy and skittish and so unlike himself, but Marcus pulls him into his arms and asks why he hasn't said anything before now.  
"Because, I was still a slave by your laws. I couldn't. I couldn't... say no, or yes, or tell you."  
"But now you're free."  
"And I'm still yours."

Later that night, after doing things in Marcus's bed that were _definitely_ not sleeping, Marcus asks for his help. To find the Eagle. To go back up North.

Esca says yes.

They find it. They find other members of the Legion, the ones not lost to the Eaters of Light. Esca hears the music again, and remembers. But he has a future now, with Marcus, with Cub, with Cottia. They escape and come back to start a farm with horses. Cottia joins them and helps give off the illusion of normalcy, but she's just there for the dog. And kids, she really wants to raise kids, and she doesn't care whose they are. (They end up adopting). It's okay, everything is okay. And once, when a crow landed on the roof and called out, Esca remembered Kar, but forgot to hate Romans. 


End file.
